Ronald K. Chen, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Rutgers School of Law–Newark, has been nominated by Governor-elect Jon Corzine as Public Advocate of New Jersey. Dean Chen received his J.D. degree with high honors in 1983 from Rutgers, where he was editor-in-chief of the Rutgers Law Review and the Saul Tischler Scholar. After graduation from law school, he clerked for the Honorable Leonard I. Garth, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Before joining the Rutgers faculty in 1987, he was associated with the New York law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore. He has been Associate Dean since 1995.

Following is the statement by Dean Stuart L. Deutsch on the nomination:“I am extremely proud that Associate Dean Ronald K. Chen has been nominated by Governor-elect Jon Corzine as the next Public Advocate of New Jersey. Ron has long been a leader in public interest advocacy in New Jersey. In the position of Public Advocate, he will have the tremendous opportunity to rebuild the Department of Public Advocate and thereby help ensure that all people of the State are given full and equal access to the law. Sadly, for us, this new position means that Ron will be leaving Rutgers Law School when the nomination is confirmed. For more than 18 years, he has been an inspiring teacher, a first-rate administrator and a wonderful colleague, and we will miss him greatly.

The entire law school community joins me in congratulating Ron on this well-deserved nomination. He is certain to continue to make us proud as a Rutgers Law School alumnus and colleague.”